The seven golden candlesticks comprised a precious and mandatory lamp placed before the presence of God. It was a requirement to have this powerful lamp shining in the Holy Place before God twenty-four hours a day.
The lamp was placed in the tabernacle, the temple and before the throne in Revelation 1:20. This expensive piece of equipment was made with pure gold beaten to a completed work of wonder.
Why was this piece of furniture so important that God required it to be in His own presence? It was the only source of light allowed to be present in the Holy Place. Natural light was declared a contamination; it could have no part in the Holy Place.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” The lampstand was a true type of the Holy Spirit.
The lampstand was carefully shaped by the hammering of a hammer in the hands of the Holy Spirit, through the wisdom he gave to Bezaleel.
The olive oil had to be made by a crushing between rocks. The light could not come from an ordinary source. They that shine before God must not shine their own glory. The understanding of this truth is a pearl much greater than the carnal man can evaluate or even consider precious.
To live before God as crushed olive oil so that His life and light can illuminate in His presence, is a calling many could not even consider worth enduring. The superficial Christian would become so insulted that heavenly light could not be present. This is why the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
I believe that one of the deepest grievings of the Holy Spirit is when a carnal Christian leans on his own understanding while trying to acknowledge God. The enormous danger is that the natural man does not even discern this. It is alone the spiritual man that can see and have understanding in it.
The natural man will not be led by the Spirit of God because he has no spiritual discernment. The natural man has many answers and easy solutions. He uses his impoverished imagination to lead himself and others down a path of confusion.
The natural man can accomplish many things exceptionally well. The self-power of his actions will make him a failure in God’s kingdom and a king in organizations of humanity. This will cause him many personal failures.
The natural man’s personal observation of himself is filled with the condemnation depicted in the book of Jude. This creates a conflict in his spirit to turn to idealistic opinions that wage a war against the saints, and do so in the name of Jesus.
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
It is correct to understand that the church of Ephesus had an invisible candlestick in its midst. God threatened the removal of this important lamp unless their first love was restored. There is only one source for this spiritual love. This agape love comes from the Holy Spirit alone. It is a love not achievable, but granted after receiving the Holy Spirit.
When an unrepentant condition creeps into a believer, the heavenly light becomes very dim. Here the man will stumble around in natural light and lose his path in the righteousness of Christ. Here is where strategies are introduced and forceful personal biases exist.
A true believer will never be confused walking in the light. But when the heavenly light is removed, you will find the opposite to be entirely present.
James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. V.16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Why was the lampstand so important in the presence of God? This lamp is His eternal illumination and it searches all the deep things of God.
Light searches; it goes everywhere there is freedom from obstacles. All obstacles put a complete stop to light unless they are transparent. God demands from us complete transparency through true repentance from all darkened obstacles.
Do I have hidden obstacles?
PRAYER: Jesus, help me to return to my first love. All other affections I nail to the cross!
